Direct comparison
Mendeley Data vs. Zenodo: Repository Fit
Compare Mendeley Data and Zenodo on storage limits, DOI issuance, disciplinary scope, versioning, and licensing to pick a repository.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Mendeley Data | Zenodo |
|---|---|---|
| Operator / institutional backing | Elsevier (commercial academic publisher) | CERN, with OpenAIRE and EU funding/integration support; open-source InvenioRDM platform |
| Disciplinary scope | Generalist — any research discipline; scoped to datasets | Generalist — any research discipline; also accepts software, preprints, posters, and other outputs |
| Storage limit per dataset | 10GB free personal account; up to 100GB with an institutional subscription | 50GB default per record (up to 100 files); 150GB additional account-level storage; larger one-time quota available on request |
| DOI issuance | Provisional DOI reserved at draft creation, permanent DOI minted on publish, registered via DataCite (British Library as registrant) | DOI minted automatically at publication via DataCite; distinguishes a version DOI (one specific version) from a concept DOI (always resolves to the latest version) |
| Versioning | Full version history; published versions viewable and comparable | New version created per update, each with its own version DOI linked to a shared concept DOI |
| Licensing | Default CC BY 4.0; dropdown of Creative Commons and open software/hardware licenses | Default CC0; license required for every public upload, drawn from a long list of Creative Commons and other open licenses |
| Curation / moderation | Moderated for compliance, typically within 2 business days of submission | No mandatory review outside Communities; optional community curator review via "submit for review" |
| Software / code archiving | Not a focus — scoped to datasets | Direct GitHub integration to archive a tagged release and mint it a DOI |
| Best for | Elsevier/ScienceDirect-centered workflows, or institutions with a larger contracted storage tier | Archiving code alongside data, EU-funded projects needing OpenAIRE reporting integration, or datasets over 10GB without institutional Mendeley Data access |
Common questions
FAQ
Is Mendeley Data the same as the Mendeley reference manager?+
No. Mendeley Data (data.mendeley.com) is Elsevier's dataset repository. Mendeley the reference manager is a separate product for collecting citations, annotating PDFs, and generating bibliographies — see CASRAI's reference manager comparison for that tool specifically.
Do both Mendeley Data and Zenodo issue a real, citable DOI?+
Yes. Both register DOIs through DataCite. Mendeley Data reserves a provisional DOI at dataset creation and mints the permanent one on publication; Zenodo mints a DOI automatically on publication and additionally provides a concept DOI that always points to a dataset's latest version.
Which has more free storage, Mendeley Data or Zenodo?+
Zenodo's default per-record limit (50GB, per Zenodo's own documentation) is larger than Mendeley Data's free personal-account limit (10GB, per Mendeley Data's own FAQ). Mendeley Data's institutional tier can go up to 100GB depending on the subscribing institution's agreement with Elsevier. Confirm current figures directly with each provider, since both have changed limits over time.
Can I deposit code or software on either repository?+
Zenodo explicitly supports software as a deposit type and integrates directly with GitHub to archive a tagged release automatically. Mendeley Data is scoped to datasets rather than treating code as a first-class deposit type.
Does either repository review datasets before publishing them?+
Both apply lighter review than a curated domain repository. Mendeley Data moderates submissions for compliance with its terms, typically within two business days. Zenodo has no mandatory review for a standalone upload, though an optional community-curator review is available when submitting into a Zenodo Community.
